Supply of material in wrapping machines



I June 13, 1939. .1. CRIGHTON 2,162,607

SUPPLY OF MATERIAL IN WRAPPING MACHINES Filed Nov. 18, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l I June 13, 1939. J. CRIGHTON 2,152,607

' SUPPLY OF MATERIAL IN WRAPPING MACHINES Filed Nov. 18, 1936' 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 13, 1939.

J. CRIG HTON SUPPLY OF MATERIAL IN WRAPPING MACHINES Filed Nov. 18, 1936 SSheets-Sheet 4 June 1939- J. CRIGHTON 2,162,607

SUPPLY OF MATERIAL IN WRAPPING MACHINES Filed Nov. 18, 19:56 s Sheets-Sheet Q v o & FEED ROLLS uRMNe (24o) FEED ROLL smmumvuzo) y KN\FECU rs KNIFE RETURNS b KNIFE DIVELLS (901 SOLENOID a PED PRESSUIE ROLLERS UP8EOLENOID FREE To RETRAC'I (240) c PRES URE ROLLER SOLENOID new umsss DET'ICTOR HA. QFUNTIOFED 00mg PREVIOUS FEED (IFDETE TORHAS n: EcroR DEFLEITOR FuNcTloNEb) HOV FoRw RET RNlNCz d DEFLEC roR N am POSITION 0 60' so .120 210' 240 270 300 330 aoo Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPLY OF MATERIAL IN WRAPPING MACHINES Application November 18, 1936, Serial No. 111,423 In Great Britain November 20, 1935 21 Claims.

This invention relates to the supply of wrapping material in wrapping machines of the type wherein the wrapping material is in web form and is fed to severing mechanism by which wrapper lengths are severed.

'In connection with cigarette wrapping or packing machines in which the bundles of cigarettes are wrapped in foil it has been the practice hitherto to stop the machine in the event of a breakage of the web or when the supply reel runs out and an object of the present invention is to provide an improved feed for the wrapping web whereby such stoppages are rendered unnecessary.

15 The invention consists in means for feeding wrapping or like material in web form to severing means, wherein a spare supply of the material is provided, and means are provided set in operation by the breakage or exhaustion of the 0 running web whereby the spare web is automatically delivered to the web feeding means.

The feeding of the material to the severing means may be effected by main feeding rolls while the delivery of the spare web to the main 25 feed rolls may be effected by auxiliary feed rolls preferably comprising an idle roll for each web adapted, on a fault occurring in the running web, to be moved into engagement with the main feed rolls.

30 The change over to the spare web may be effected by electrically operated means which function upon the breakage or exhaustion of the running web.

The webs may pass through detector mecha- 35 nism controlling said electrically operated means.

The invention is particularly adapted to the supply of wrapping foil in cigarette wrapping machines, and the invention will be described in such connection, but it may be applied to other 40 machines where sections of wrapping material are adapted to be severed from a running web such as cork tipping machines.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention as applied to a foilsupplying mech- 45 anism. for cigarette packing machines:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the mechanism with certain parts removed for clearness;

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of controlling 50 mechanism which is located in front of the parts shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side view corresponding to Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan of auxiliary feed rolls;

55 Figure 6 is a plan of the severing knives;

Figure '7 is a detail of deflecting means;

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic representation of the cams.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one convenient mode a pair of supply reels 5- :5, H is provided which are located on spaced horizontal spindles l2, l3 carried by brackets l4,. Hi the webs being drawn off downwardly to feeding and severing mechanism.

The feeding mechanism comprises a pair of 1 feed rolls I 6, i1 located on horizontal axes and of which 16 is intermittently driven by suitable means. The roll I! is free to rotate and is spring pressed towards the other roll, the trunnions of the roll I! being carried in sliding bearings 18.

The tension of the spring l9 and thus the pressure of the roll I! may be adjusted by the screw 2! A rotary cam 2| co-operating with a flange 22 on the adjusting screw is provided for opening the feed rolls when necessary. 20

The intermittent drive to the feed roll H5 is effected by a Geneva drive comprising a slotted disc 23 and a driving disc 24 having a driving roller 25. The drive from the disc 23 is through gearing 26, 21. 25

During the stationary non-feeding periods of the feed rolls l6; ll the disc is locked by the roll 28 carried by the lever 29 which is controlled by the rotary cam 39 which is conveniently formed on the edge of the disc 24. 30

Below the feed rolls I6, I! severing means are provided which may be of any suitable type, for example a reciprocating cutting knife 3| may co-operate with a fixed knife or ledger plate 32. The reciprocating knife 3! is mounted in guides 53 (see Figure 6) and is cam operated from the cam '34 which engages a roll 35 on the lever 36 mounted upon the rock shaft 31 to which the mounting for the knife 3| is connected.

The cam 34 is mounted uponthe spindle 38 40 which also carries the driving disc 24 and cam 32. The spindle 3B is constantly driven from any suitable source.

Above the main feed rolls, auxiliary feed rolls #59, M are provided one for each web. The aux- 5 iliary feed rolls are mounted for free rotation on spindles carried by frames 42 pivoted at 42:1: upon levers 63 (see Figs. 1 and 5). Normally the auxiliary feed rolls 46, M are spaced from the main feed rolls l6 and I! so that there is no drive upon the web from the auxiliary feed rolls, but on swinging the levers 43 downwardly the auxiliary rolls are brought into a position to press the webs on to the main feed rolls in a manner hereinafter referred to.

The frames 42 are freely pivoted on the levers 43 so that equal pressure will be exerted by the rolls 4i 4! when they come into operation.

Between the auxiliary feed rolls 4|], 4| and the supply rolls I and H, a detector mechanism is provided comprising a pair of rolls 44, 45 which form contact elements in an electrical circuit. Normally the circuit is broken by the presence of the web but when the web breaks or is exhausted contact is made between the rolls to complete the circuit. In the case of a foil wrapping for cigarettes it will be appreciated that the foil is backed by thin paper which breaks the circuit.

The inner detector rolls 45 are carried by pivoted levers 46 which are connected at their free ends by a spring 41 so that the rolls are spread apart to engage the complementary rolls 44 (or the webs as the case may be).

The upper ends of the levers 46 are also connected to the toggle links 48, the middle joint of the links being connected to a sliding block 49 which carries a spring pressed pawl 50.

One of the levers 43 carrying the movable auxiliary feed rolls is provided with a roller engaging a bracket 52 on a vertically slidable control bar 53 mounted forwardly of the feed rolls l6 and IT. The bar 53 is normally maintained in its upper position whereby the auxiliary feed rolls are held in their raised or inoperative position.

The control bar 53 which is formed in two parts connected by a threaded rod 54 for purposes of lengthwise adjustment, is held in its upper position by a solenoid 55 which is in circuit with the detector rolls 44, 45. The core 56 has a tongue 51 which normally underlies a projection 58 on the control bar. A bracket 59, Figure 3, supports the core. When the projection 58 is in engagement with the tongue 51 there is suflicient friction, or the gripping efiect between the projection 58 and bracket 59 is such that the core is prevented from moving to its release position, even though the coil is energised.

In order to permit the release of the tongue, the control bar 53 is raised during each cycle of operation by means of a rotary cam 60, engaging a roll 63 on a pivoted lever 62 the end of which lever 62 underlies a roll 64 on the lower end of the bar 53.

The cam 60 is shaped so that it will lift the bar 53 slightly each rotation to free the tongue 51 so that in the event that the coil of-the solenoid has been energised the core will be withdrawn. The rotations of cam 60 are synchronised with the feed rollers so that the period during which the tongue 51 is free to be withdrawn overlaps a portion of the feed and a portion of the stationary period of the feed rolls.

It will be appreciated that when a detection occurs at either of the pairs of detector rolls, there will be a length of web between the knife and the roll and in order that such length shall be used before the solenoid operates, it is pre ferred to provide an interrupter in the solenoid circuit which may comprise a rotary device having a contact strip adapted to give a 90 contact. The interrupter is synchronised with the feed roll so the circuit will be made (assuming of course that a detection has occurred at the rolls 44, 45) immediately the feed roll completes its feed.

In order to get rid of the short end piece of the web which will be fed by the rolls after a detection, a web diverting device is provided below the knife. This diverter comprises a transverse plate 64:0 mounted upon a pivoted support 65. The support is provided with a projection 65 (Fig. 3) which lies in the path of a rod 61 adjustably mounted on the control bar 53. A spring 58 is provided to retain the support 65 against a stop 69 and thus hold the diverter plate 64:0 in the inoperative position.

When the control bar 53 descends, the rod 51 swings the support to bring the diverter plate into the diverting position see Figure '7, in which it is held by the projection 66 engaging the lower side of a pivoted catch 10. The catch has a nose Illa which engages the upper end of a slidable resetting bar TI and is retained against such bar by a spring 12 (Fig. 3).

The resetting bar 1| engages at its lower end, a pivoted lever 13 having a roll 14 adapted for engagement by a cam fixed on the side of the cam 69.

When the cam 75 swings the lever I3, the resetting bar is raised and turns the catch 10 anti-clockwise. This causes a clockwise rotation of the diverter support 65 and thus swings the diverter plate 641: from its diverting position to the right and positively ejects the piece of web. On further movement the catch slips past the end of projection 66 and allows the support 65 to return under the action of the spring 68 whereby the diverter plate is returned to its normal position.

Adjacent its upper end the control bar 53 is provided with an adjustable detent 16 which when the bar moves downwardly after a detection moves past the pawl 50 which is returned by its spring to -lie in the path of the detent. On the control bar being raised by the cam 60 the detent engages the pawl and lifts the sliding block .49 which through the toggle levers 48: (Fig. 1) swings the levers 45 and thus moves the detector rolls 45 inwardly out of engagement with the rolls 44 and thus breaks the circuit of the solenoid 55 whereby the core 56 is free to return and support the control bar.

The resetting of the detector rolls 45, after a rethreading of the broken web, or replenishment of an exhausted web, is effected manually by the operator. This is efiected by pressing on the button 11 (Fig. 1) which brings the coned pin 18 into engagement with the upper end of the pawl 50 causing the pawl to turn anti-clockwise as seen in Figure 2 whereby the pawl is turned anti-clockwise out of the path of the detent 16, and at the same time the toggle is broken and the spring 41 placed under tension which draws the arms 46 to gether and biases the detector rolls 45 apart into the position shown in Fig. 1. Upon release of the button 11, the pawl assumes its normal position, as shown in Fig. 4, ready to be lifted upon the next upward movement of the detent 15 when the control bar 53 is raised.

The relative setting of the cam 34 controlling the knife, the change over cam 60 for the control bar 53, and the cam 15 controlling the foil defiector with regard to the web feed rolls is shown in developed form in Figure 8 in which the upper line a rep-resents the drive to the main feed rolls, line 1) represents the cam 34, line 0 the cam 60 and line at the cam 15.

In operation, assuming that the right hand supply reel is the running web, the web from the left hand reel is brought down through the left hand detector rolls and between the left hand auxiliary feed roll 40 and the driven feed roll l6 until the leading end lies in the bight of the rolls I6 and l 1 but such that it cannot be gripped by the main feed rolls [6 and i1.

With this state of affairs the auxiliary feed rolls 4!], 4| are held in the raised position by the control bar 53 which is prevented from falling by the tongue 51 of the core of the solenoid.

Now should the right hand web break or become exhausted, contact will be made between the right hand detector rolls 44, 45 and the solenoid circuit closed at this point. The solenoid will not however become energized until the circuit is completed by the interrupter, i. e., at the end of the feeding period of the main feed rolls.

The solenoid core will then be free to retract when the cam 60 raises the control bar 53 to disengage the tongue 51 of the core.

The control bar will now fall, allowing the auxiliary feed rolls 40, 4| to be lowered by the spring 43a into driving contact with the main feed rolls so that the left hand standing web will be fed between the main feed rolls.

At the same time the detent 16 on the control bar will move beneath the pawl ready to raise the pawl and open the circuit at the detector rolls when the control bar is reset.

Also when the control bar drops, the rod 61 swings the deflector plate 641 to a position beneath the knives in which the end or scrap piece of web will be deflected, in which position it will be retained by the projection 66 lying beneath the catch 10.

As the cam 60 completes its cycle the control bar 53 is raised so that the solenoid core is free to return, to retain the bar in raised position, the solenoid in the meantime having been deenergized by the interrupter. The raising of the bar 53 opens the detector rolls by the lifting of the sliding block 49, and also raises the auxiliary feed rolls 40,41.

At the same time the cam 15 lifts the resetting bar 1| causing an ejecting movement of the deflector plate 641: to positively eject the end piece of the web, or as may happen a double thickness of oil, after which the deflector is returned to its normal position.

The parts are now reset for the feeding of the left hand web.

The operator now threads through the broken or replenished right hand web passing it between the right hand detector rolls, beneath the auxiliary feed roll 4! and into the bight between the main feed rolls I6, I1, stopping the leading end of the web so that there is no gripping of the web by the feed rolls.

After the web has been thus threaded in position the detector rolls are reset by the operator pressing the button I! which allows the pawl 50 to ride past the detent 16 on the control bar.

The right hand web is now the standing web and in a fault occurring by a. breakage of the left hand web or exhaustion of such web, a detection again occurs and the right hand web is brought into use.

The invention is of particular advantage when used with a duplex feed wrapping machine as it avoids the disadvantage hitherto experienced of having to stop both feeds even when only one web had broken or become exhausted.

While the invention has been described in connection with wrapping machines it may also be applied in other machines where sections of material are severed from a running web where it is desirable to avoid stoppage of the machine for breakafges or the like; and, for example, it may be applied to cork tipping machines.

I claim:

1. In a wrapping machine of the class described; severing means; and mechanism for feeding wrapping or like material in web form to said severing means, wherein two supply reels are provided, and main feeding means, with two identical sets of auxiliary feeding devices, adapted to be set automatically in operation selectively by the breakage or exhaustion of either web when running, and change-over devices where- V by the other web is thereupon automatically delivered to the main web feeding means.

2. In a wrapping machine of the class described; severing means; and mechanism for feeding wrapping or like material in web form to said severing means, said feeding mechanism including two supply reels, with a common set of main feeding means, and two identical sets of auxiliary feeding means each adapted to be operated at times and inoperative at other times; duplicate means for detecting a breakage in, or exhaustion of, the running web; and means set n operation by the breakage or exhaustion of he running web to operate the appropriate auxiliary feeding means to deliver the spare web to the main feeding means.

3. In a wrapping machine of the class described; severing means; and mechanism for feeding a webof metal foil wrapping or like material to said severing means, said feeding mechanism including two supply reels, with a common set of main feeding means, and two identical sets of auxiliary feed roll devices, one for each web, which rolls are normally inoperative; and means controlled by the breakage or exhaustion of the running web to bring the appropriate auxiliary feed roll devices into opera; tion to deliver the spare web to the main feeding means.

4. In a wrapping machine of the class described; severing means; and mechanism for feeding a web of metal foil wrapping or like material to said severing means, said feeding mechanism including two supply reels, with a common set of main feed rolls, and changeover devices adapted to be set in operation by the breakage or exhaustion of the running web, whereby the spare web is withdrawn from its reel'and automatically delivered to the web feeding means, said change-over devices being controlled by electrically operated means.

5. In a wrapping machine of the class described, severing means and mechanism for feeding wrapping or like material in web form to said severing means, as claimed in claim 4, and

.wherein a detector mechanism is provided to sense a fault in the running Web and to control said electrically operated means, the webs being passed through said detector mechanism.

6. Mechanism for feeding wrapping or like material in web form to severing means; comprising a plurality of supply reels; a common set of main feed rolls; uniform sets of auxiliary feed roll devices, one for each web; means to actuate said main feed rolls and said auxiliary feed roll devices; a vertically reciprocable control bar arranged to maintain each of said auxil iary feed roll devices normally in a predetermined control position; a withdrawable element for holding said bar in said last named position, to incapacitate that one of the auxiliary feed roll devices which may be operating in conjunction with the running web; and detector means to withdraw said element and thereby rehabilitate an appropriate auxiliary feed roll device, whereupon the latter is made effective to deliver into the main feed rolls the web controlled by said last-named auxiliary feed roll device.

7. Means for feeding wrapping or like material to severing means as claimed in claim wherein the withdrawable element comprises the core of a solenoid which is in circuit with detector mechanism through which the web passes.

8. Means for feeding wrapping or like material to severing means as claimed in claim 6, wherein the auxiliary feed roll devices are respectively located above the main feed rolls and each is adapted to be lowered onto one of the main feed rolls on detection of a fault in the running web, to feed the standing web.

9. Means for feeding wrapping or like material to severing means as claimed in claim 6, wherein the auxiliary feed roll devices are respectively located above the main feed rolls and each is carried by a spring pressed-lever having an abutment cooperating with a projection on said control bar to maintain said incapacitated auxiliary feed roll device out of engagement with the main feed rolls until a fault occurs in the running web.

10. In a wrapping machine of the class described; severing means; and mechanism for feeding wrapping or like material to said severing means as claimed in claim wherein detector mechanism is provided, comprising a pair of rolls for each web, and an electrical circuit in which each pair of rolls is included, said circuit being adapted to be closed through contiguous portions of said rolls in the absence of a web therebetween, and said circuit being opened when the rolls of a pair are maintained out of contact by the presence of a web therebetween; and means in said circuit, and operated by closure thereof, to cause another web to be fed.

11. Mechanism for feeding wrapping or like material in web form to severing means; comprising a plurality of supply reels; a common set of main feed rolls; uniform sets of auxiliary feed roll devices, one for each web; means to actuate i said main feed rolls and said auxiliary feed roll devices; a vertically reciprocable control bar, arranged to maintain each of said auxiliary feed roll devices normally in a predetermined control position; a detector mechanism comprising a pair of rolls for each web, and between the rolls of which pair the corresponding web is caused to pass, and an electrical control circuit in which each such pair of rolls is included, said circuit being adapted to be closed through contiguous portions of said rolls in the absence of a web therebetween, and said circuit being opened when the rolls of a pair are maintained out of contact by the presence of a web therebetween; and means in said circuit, and operated by closure thereof, to cause another web to be fed into said main feed rolls; said last-named means in-= eluding an electromagnetic device responsive to circuit conditions and having a core with a tongue adapted to intersect the path of movement of the control bar, and the core being moved in response to current flow in the solenoid to retract the tongue and permit the control bar to fall, thereby allowing the appropriate auxiliary feed rolls to be engaged with the main feed rolls, so that the said auxiliary feed rolls will feed the standing web between the main feed rolls; each pair of detector rolls having a stationary roll and a movable roll, .the movable rolls being mounted upon levers having spring means for pressing each of such rolls toward the associated stationary roll.

12. Means for feeding wrapping or like material to severing means as claimed in claim 11, wherein each lever is connected to a toggle, the pivot of which is coupled to a slide adapted to be lifted by said vertically reciprocating control bar after a detection to move the movable detector roll away from the stationary detector roll and open the circuit.

13. Means for feeding wrapping or like material to severing means as claimed in claim 11, wherein each lever is connected to a toggle, the pivot of which is coupled to a slide adapted to be lifted by said vertically reciprocating control bar after a detection to move the movable detector roll away from the stationary detector roll and open the circuit of a solenoid, the core of which normally underlies a projection on said bar and is withdrawn on a fault being detected at the detector rolls.

14. Means for feeding wrapping or like material in web form to severing means as claimed in claim 6; and wherein the withdrawable element comprises the core of a solenoid which is in an electrical control circuit with said detector mechanism through which the webs pass, and means to interrupt the solenoid circuit to delay withdrawal of the solenoid core and release of the control bar, after the closing of the circuit by a detection, until released at a predetermined part of a cycle.

15. Mechanism of the class described for feeding wrapping or like material in web form to severing means; said mechanism comprising a plurality of supply reels of the material; intermittently operating main feed rolls; auxiliary feed rolls for each web; a vertically reciprocable control bar adapted to maintain each of said auxiliary feed roll devices selectively in a raised inoperative position; a detector means through which the webs pass; a withdrawable element for supporting said bar in the raised position, said element comprising the core of a solenoid in circuit with said detector means; and means to energize the solenoid on the breakage or exhaustion of the running web to withdraw the solenoid core and allow the bar to fall, and means released by the fall of the bar to effect engagement of the auxiliaryfeed rolls with the main feed rolls to deliver the spare web to the main feed rolls, and means to interrupt the solenoid circuit to delay withdrawal of the solenoid core, when a detection has occurred, until the end of a feeding period of the main feed rolls.

16. Means for feeding wrapping or like material to severing means as claimed in claim 15, wherein the control bar is formed with a surface which frictionally engages a surface on the core to delay withdrawal of the core and in which a rotary cam is provided to lift the bar and thus to disengage said surfaces, said rotary cam being synchronized with the drive of the main feed rolls.

17. Mechanism of the class described for feeding wrapping or like material in web form to severing means, said mechanism comprising a plurality of supply reels, each adapted to serve in turn as a spare reel; main web-feeding means; auxiliary web-feeding devices; change-over means adapted to make said webs selectively effective; electrically operated means adapted to beset in operation by the breakage or exhaustion of the running web whereby the appropriate auxiliary weir-feeding devices are activated and the spare web is automatically delivered to the mainweb-feeding means, said electrically operated means including a pair of detector rolls for each web, through the rolls of which pair the corresponding web passes, one roll of each pair being mounted on a lever having spring means for pressing said roll toward the other roll, said levers being pivotally connected to a toggle, the pivot of whichis coupled to a slide adaptedto be lifted by a vertically reciprocating control bar after a detection to move the movable rolls away from the other rolls to break the circuit, said slide carrying a pivoted pawl adapted to be engaged by a detent on said bar to raise the slide, said detent riding past the pawl when the control bar drops.

18. Means for feeding wrapping or like material to severing means as claimed in claim 17, wherein a manually operable setting pin is provided mounted to reciprocate to engage the pawl and release it from the detent to permit the movable detector rolls to move outwardly towards the stationary rolls.

19. Means for feeding wrapping or like material to severing means as claimed in claim 6, wherein a deflecting device'is provided which is adaptedz,

neath the-severing means when the. control bare drops after a detection by means carried by the.

control bar and wherein the return of the deflector device is controlled by means which first impart an ejecting movement to the deflector.

21. Means for feeding wrapping or like material to severing means as claimed in claim 6, wherein a pivotally mounted deflector is provided having a returning spring and is adapted to be swung to a deflecting position beneath the severing means by means carried by the control bar and wherein a pivoted pawl is provided for retaining the deflector in the deflecting position and for effecting its release, said pawl first moving the deflector to an ejecting position and being operated by a cam controlled reciprocating bar.

JOHN CRIGHTON. 

